Carolina Herrera / Fall 2014 RTW

Search a show by:

There is a wonderful certainty inherent in a Carolina Herrera collection. For instance, season to season, you know there always will be a print, there always will be sinuous evening, and there always will be a chic pants look that mixes high society with ease.

For fall 2014, all those elements were present and accounted for. Print: a graphic pattern of triangles that looked like shards of glass or sailboats depending on the configuration. Sinuous evening: floor length dresses in fire red silk organza, or a silk cady number covered in orange, turquoise, and brown geometric shapes. High society ease: straight, gray plaid pants with a degrade mink sweater, or burnt orange wool pants with a matching coat trimmed with wide panels of sable.

Nevertheless, Herrera is always trying to push the women she dresses ever so slightly further through proportion. Over the past few seasons, Herrera’s been playing with tea-length—for day, evening, and even bridal. It’s a more youthful hemline, as Mrs. Herrera knows, that allows for the manner in which women are more casually approaching black tie as well as experimenting with flats for night.

This season the designer decided to bring the focus up to the shoulders. Particularly she wanted a broad silhouette on top to emphasize a tiny waist (three cheers for that). She did this by making sleeves bell-shaped and to the elbow and extending necklines to wide funnels just below the chin. Jackets and tops ended at the hips and skirts were kept slim and right to the knee. This shape, Mrs. Herrera said backstage, feels more modern to her. What was most exciting to see however was her version of a T-shirt dress. There were two relaxed V-neck numbers in silk, one with double face georgette on the shoulders and one with a panel of jewels on the chest. Call it elegance for everyday.